Switch-stand.



T. E. CORRIGAN.

SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.28, 1914.

1, 147,21 2. Patented Jul 20, 1915.

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TElOMAS E. GORRIGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS."

SWITCH-STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 28, 1914. Serial No. 879,264.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. CORRIGAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SwitchStands, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of my specification.

My invention relates more especially to the switch-stand banner or target and to the method and manner of mounting the same, as well as to thevmanner of mounting the lamp for the switch-stand; the invention being specially applicable to what are known as low down switch-stands chiefly intended for use in yard work where it is not necessary to see at any very great distance, and where a constant passing to and fro of trains or cars manipulated by the train crew in switching is necessary, so that the switchmen are frequently compelled-to ride on the sides of the carsfrom one switch to another and therefore are constantly carried past the switch-stands and the banners or targets thereon, which, in constructions at present in use, are located in close proximity to the tracks on which the cars pass.

One object of my invention 'is'to provide an efficient switch-stand which can be more cheaply manufactured, and which, at the same time, overcomes the serious objection resulting from switch-stands and banners as heretofore constructed.

Another object ofvmy invention is to provide a switch-stand wherein the banner will be directly operated through manipulation of the switch-operating lever; the banner or target being entirely. removed from the space between the switch-stand and the side of the car passing along the tracks provided with the switch operated by said switchstand, so that the danger heretofore encountered by the trainmen through striking or being forced into contact with-the switchbanner or lamp will'be practically eliminated; my improved construction permitting the switch=lampto be mounted at a. materially lower level or plane than has heretofore been the case, namely in close proximity to the switch-stand, while the banner or target is placed on the far or outside of the I switch-stand and therefore away from the space-used by trainmen in running along withsthe car or inhanging on to the ladders or sides of the car, in order to enable them to manipulate the coupling-lever whenever it is desired to cut off one or more cars.

Thedanger above referred tois so great with switch-stands as heretofore constructed, that switchmen in yard work very frequently remove the switch-lamp in order to lessen .the danger, with the result that in some instances, when throwing a switch at night,the switchmenwould forget to change or turn the lamp resting on the ground adjacent the switch, so that an improper sig-.

nal would be shown to theengineman as well as to the switchmenworking in connection with said train.- The removal of Patented July 2c, 1915.

the lamp, however, only partially reduces the danger encountered by the trainmen, because the vertically extending stalf or shaft, provided with the horizontally disposed switch-banners, would nevertheless extend a considerable distance above the stand and the banners protrude or extend beyond the side of the switch-stand and into the path or space used by the trainmen, as previously stated.

With my improved construction, the vertical stafi or shaft, on which the switch lamp is. supported, may be. reducedtooa point in close proximity tothe switch-stand, and the horizontally disposed switch-banners are disposed of and a target or banner so arranged that it will occupy a vertical position on the operating lever side ofthe switch-stand, namely on the side away from the track to which the. switch-stand applies. By reason of this construction, also,vI am enabled to eliminate theme of a number of switch-banners or targets as a single signalplate or disk issufiicient, which'may be positively connected to" the switch-operating lever or main shaft to which the lever is secured, so that the banner or target'must move with the lever and present the proper signal, as will be. morefully. understood from the following description ofxthe drawing. a y

Figure 1 is an endelevationi of myimproved switch-stand;with the switch-lamp shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof," with the switch-operatingswitchoperating lever and thezlswitchetarget shown in the opposite direction from that illustrated in Fig. 1; the switch lamp being omitted.

In the particular exemplilication of my invention, as illustrated in the drawing, I show my invention applied to an ordinary type of switch-stand; and as the mechanism for operating the switch forms no part of my invention, the switch-stand interior, and the mechanism inclosed within, is not illustrated and a description thereof is, therefore, not entered into; it being understood that my invention is especially intended for use in connection with what are known as the low down type of switch-stands which are more especially intended for use in the railroad yards. The switch-stand is illustrated at A, and has its base-portion so constructed as to straddle or extend from the end of one tie to the end of the adjacent tie, the ties being illustrated at BB; the two ties adapted to support the switch-stand being usually extended beyond the rails, one of which is shown at C. lVith the switch-stand A supported on the extended end of the tie B, a considerable space is left beneath the switch-stand and between the ties, as very clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The switchoperating mechanism within the housing A of the switch-stand is controlled by the switch-operating lever 5, which is secured to the horizontally disposed main shaft 6, which extends out of the housing A of the switclrstand; and the free end of the operating lever being shown provided with the usual weight or ball indicated at 7 whereby the switch-operating lever will be inducedto drop into proper place and be held down to its position: the operating lever being also held in its horizontal position by the employment of a trip latch usually secured to the bifurcated members or brackets indicated at 8-8; which also tend to hold the switch-operating lever in proper hori zontal position and prevent unnecessary strain a on the switch-operating mechanism within the housing A. As is usual in constructions of this kind, the switch-stand is also provided with a vertically disposed staff or shaft 9 intended to support or hold the switch-lamp shown in dotted lines at 10 in Fig. 1; the end of the staff 9 and the staffreceiving socket of the lamp being usually angular or square in cross-section so that the lamp will rotate with the staff; the staff 9 being rotated about its vertical axis by means of gearing located within the switchstand A.

In constructions as heretofore used, the vertically disposed staff or shaft 9 was made of considerable length so that the lamp would be at a considerableheight above the plane occupied by the switch-operating mechanism-proper ;.the staff or shaft 9 being so m'a'de thatit'wouldnot only accommodate or receive the switch-lamp 10, but also receive the switch-targets or banners which have been usually secured thereto at a point intermediate of the lamp and the housing of the switch-stand. These targets or banners were also so secured to the vertically disposed staff or shaft 9 that they would clear the top of the switch-stand housing A by a considerable margin, and made to extend in a horizontal direction beyond the vertical plane occupied by the stand.

It is evident that with the construction of switch-stands as heretofore made, and as just described, the switch-lamps and the targets or banners extended so far beyond the plane occupied by the switchstand proper, both vertically and horizontally, that a switchman or trainman hanging to the side of a car, and in the act of manipulating the coupling-lever for the purpose of cutting off cars from the moving trains, would be thrown or forced into contact with the switch-lamp and the target while the car was passing the switch-stand, although the switchman would probably be from two and one-half to three feet above the ground. By reason of my invention, however, the vertically disposed staff or shaft 9 may be considerably reduced, in fact the staff need be made to extend simply to the outside of the switch-stand housing or cover, as shown in the figures, sufliciently to receive the switch-lamp 10. I am enabled to so reduce the vertically disposed staff or shaft 9 by reason of the fact that the switchtarget or banner 11 is directly applied either to the switch-operating lever or to the end of the stub-shaft 6 where the operating-lever 5 is attached, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The switch-target or banner 11, in the particular exemplification of the invention, being shown in the nature of an elongated plate having one end narrower than the other, as shown at 11 in Fig. 3, which, in this figure, is presented upwardly so as to be easily seen by the trainmen; this position of the target, for example, indicating that the switch has been thrown or set for a side track or diverg ing route, while the enlarged end 11*, which is presented upwardly and therefore visible to the trainmen, is usually provided with an aperture, as shown in Fig. 1; this end of the target indicating that the switch is set for the main track.

The switch-banner or target may either be secured to the switch-operating lever 5, in any suitable manner; or to an extended end of the main stub-shaft or operating member 6 of the switch-operating mechanism. Any suitable manner of attaching the banner may be employed, as, for example, the banner or target may be bolted to the hub-portion 12 of the lever 5, as shown in Fig. 2, the object of the invention being that the switch-target o'r'banner shall be so-secured as to have positive movement with the operating lever and at the same time be 'on the operating-lever side of the switch-stand as shown.

By securing the banner at the point shown With the switch-target placed to the outside of the switch-stand, or rather on the side away from the track tov which the switch applies, it may be disposed vertically as shown, because of its location close to the ground where it will not interfere with the switchmen and yet be in a position where it can be easily. seen at a suflicient distance by the trainmen to enable them to determine the position of the switch.

By placing the switch-target, as indicated in the drawing, all obstructions are removed between the switch-stand and the side of the car, and the space between the switch-stand and the oar-side left absolutely clear for the trainmen or switchmen whether riding on the ladders on the car-sides or running along with the cars, thus enabling them to give their attention to the operation of the coupling-lever while the train is in motion. By reason of my invention, the large number of personal injuries that have heretofore re-.

sulted to trainmen while riding on the sides of the cars, because of their coming into violent contact with the switch-lamps, or I the high vertical staff or shaft, and the horizontally disposed targets or banners, will be obviated. Furthermore, it is evident that with my improved construction merely a single banner or target-plate is necessary, thus obviating the necessity of employing four disks or plates'as in constructions as heretofore employed; so that the expense of manufacture is also materially reduced, and the danger of breakage and cost of repair is also eliminated, due to the fact that the switch-banners are located at a point where they will not be subjected to side-swiping as was the case with the construction heretofore in use.

I have shown and described what I believe to be the simplest and best form of my invention, but it is apparent that the construction may be modified in certain respects without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not wish to be understood, therefore, as limiting myself'to.

the exact construction shown and described.

I claimas my invention 1. In a switch-stand, a banner arranged adjacent the secured end of the operating lever so as to swing through the arc of a vertically disposed circle.

2. In a low-down switch-stand provided with an operating lever adapted toswing vertically through the arc of a circle, a banner secured to said lever so as to present opposite ends of said banner in a plane above the lever when the latter is operated.

3. In a switch-stand, a banner whose opas to indicate the different positions of the switch, and means whereby said banner is secured on the operating-lever side of the stand, in close proximity to said lever, so as to swing through an arc of a vertically disposed circle and thereby alternately present the opposite ends of the banner in a plane above said lever when the latter is operated.

v THOMAS E. CORRIGAN. .Witn'esses:

M. E. CORRIGAN, JOHN B. GREEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents,

Washington, D. C. r 

